


Mr. and Mrs Potato Head

by Spazzo47



Category: The Newsroom (US TV)
Genre: F/M, Newsroom Fanfiction Challenge 2015
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-28
Updated: 2019-09-28
Packaged: 2020-10-29 23:28:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,169
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20804741
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Spazzo47/pseuds/Spazzo47
Summary: Neal is throwing a Halloween party at his place while Will is having a crisis about his role with his team and his impending fatherhood.  But it's okay.  Mackenzie is there to fix it.THis is for Lilac Mermaid's September 2015 (I didn't realise there was a Newsroom Fan fiction Challenge tag already), HOlidays, Anniversaries and Birthdays.  I'll admit that I thought it was general celebration, but I think I'm covered with Halloween being a holiday.  Afterall, my iPhone recognizes it.





	Mr. and Mrs Potato Head

“Remind me why we have to go to Neal’s place for a Halloween party?”

Mac rolled her eyes at her husband. She had only answered this question 47 times since Will accidentally heard about the get together and Neal stammered out a nervous invitation to him. Will accepted just to see what Neal would do, but when word got back to Mac, she told the cantankerous anchor that he needed to go to help with team building. Will shot her a look. “I’m part of the team. In fact, I’m the leader. I’m the one who sets the course and makes sure everyone is following. I’m involved in their lives. I advise Neal on college courses he should take and do a fucking better job than his counsellor.” That’s not how Mac remembered a week of texts trying to get her husband reeled in after she left him for her office on the executive floor. 

“We’re going to Neal’s because I want to see the team.”

“You can come down to the studio anytime you want. They’re all there. Except Maggie is in DC. And Sloane left. And Gary went back to daytime. But the rest of them.”

Mac came out of the bathroom in her Mrs. Potato Head costume. “Does this hide my baby bump?”

Will’s eyes caught sight of her still exposed legs and he stared. “What?”

Mac moved his head up with her finger and smiled at him. “My eyes are up here.” 

Will had a devilish smile on his face as he found the eyes for the costume that she laid out and placed them strategically on each of her breasts. “Your eyes are here too.”

“Just what I want, a bunch of 20-somethings staring at my chest all night.”

“Well, we don’t have to go. I can have the driver drop off some good boos and make our apologies. Neal’s pretty naïve, I bet he would believe you’re going into labor.”

“They’re journalists, Will, a couple phone calls and they’ll figure out I’m not in a hospital.” Mac watched her husband pout as he looked at his matching Mr. Potato Head costumer. She sat on the bed as she rolled the white tights she would wear under the polyester and foam body suit. “You’ve never answered me. Why don’t you want to go to this party?”

Will contemplated his costume. “What the fuck color pants do you think a potato wears?”

“You’re wearing your jeans. Why don’t you want to go?”

Will picked up his costume and stared at it some more. “Shouldn’t I wear something khaki or brown? Like a potato”

Mac got irritated. She’s been trying to get this out of him for weeks and every time she asks he changes the subject. This time though, she will make him answer. “I don’t care if you wear purple pants with orange fucking sparkles, why don’t you want to go?”

Will looked at her perplexed. “You wouldn’t mind even a little bit if I _owned_ pants like that?”

Mac grabbed the nearest pillow to her and hit him with it. “I only care that you’re wearing pants, I don’t need Tess –”

“Ok, ok. You don’t need to go there. You want to know why I don’t want to go to Neal’s place.” Will stopped to consider his answer. “I’m not sure. It feels like, like I’m going to be the parent telling everyone… fuck Mac. I don’t even know what parents tell their kids at parties.”

“Well, usually the parents aren’t there so they don’t say anything.”

“See, I don’t even know that. The every time we had a party like this, it was at my place –”

“The poster child for minimalists everywhere.”

Will shot her a look and continued. “My apartment, yes. They were on my turf. And I was able to just hang out with them. I played my guitar. I ate cookies.”

Mac rolled her eyes. “You got high, I let you go on the air and then you held a grudge because I didn’t reply to a message I never received!”

Will didn’t know exactly how, but that didn’t end where he expected. “What I mean is, I was one of the group. I was single and I was able to be irresponsible. But now –” Will stood up and made a gesture with both arms to indicate her foam potato belly. “I’m sorry, I just can’t take you seriously in that thing.”

“Well, now you know how I feel anytime you get like this!” Mac struggled to stand up with her tights now half on. “Are you telling me that you don’t want to go to Neal’s because you feel old? Because you know that you are the same age older than them as you were that night.”

“It’s not that, it’s... Now they look up to me. I’m more like their parent than their buddy and I’m trying to figure out how to be Spike’s dad –”

“We’re not calling him Spike, even in jest.”

“We haven’t completely ruled out Spike until we find a name we can agree on.”

“Well if that’s the case, this kid won’t have a name until he’s 20.” Mac thought for a second. “And they don’t want you to be their dad. And they don’t need to go to our bachelor pad. You were their leader on the night of the cookies just like you are now.”

“My place was awesome!”

“It was a fucking sterile environment. I always felt like I was going to hospital when I walked in.”

“It had a fucking view of the Statue of Liberty!”

Mac rolled her eyes again. “I don’t think the problem is you think they want you to be their father, I think you’re afraid of being this little guy’s father.”

“OF COURSE I AM!” Will exhaled loudly. “It’s not like I had a great role model. I’ve been watching reruns of Andy Griffith to see how he raised Opie. And I realized I don’t like fishing. And even if I did we don’t have access to a good fishing hole.” Will looked at his wife hoping to find understanding. “And now you’re laughing at me.”

Seeing that her laughter hurt him, she straightened up and took his hand, leading him back to sit on the edge of the bed. “Will, you are not your father and you won’t be. We are here because I know that. And the fact that you love this baby so much already tells me that you’re going to love him as well as you love me. And as for the rest, the rest we’ll figure out together.” She looked at him seriously. He gave her a quick peck on the lips. 

“I love being married to you.”

“So do I. Now, Will, will you put your fucking costume on?”

“You know they really don’t want me there. Neal just didn’t know how to not invite me after I heard about it.”

“I know. But they still like me.”


End file.
